Requiem of an Air Ace
by undisturbedpeace
Summary: After his pilot friend is killed in what looks like a freak accident, Horatio must discover the truth behind his death.
1. Chapter 1

**Dedication:** To our men & women of the Air Force. And to those veterans who flew in WWII. I salute you all!

"_Off we go into the wild blue yonder…"_

**Chapter 1**

She was called the Wings of War and was about 68,000 pounds. She still had her old tattoo – a graceful angel holding a bomb in her hands – on her left side, and was sixty-three years old. She was a fully restored Avro Lancaster bomber, brought to Miami International Airport for its annual air show thanks to the Royal Air Force. Her pilot was to be the Brad Pitt of all RAF pilots – Kyle Shannon.

The crowd was just coming into the hangar as Horatio Caine pulled the Hummer into the parking lot and he was amazed that he had butterflies in his stomach as he got out. He hadn't seen Kyle in years, and he wondered if that gifted young pilot had changed in the course of those years.

He removed his sunglasses to gaze upon the giant monstrosity called the _Wings of War_ and was almost afraid to wonder if Kyle would be strong enough to even _fly_ the damned thing.

Then he heard it coming from the dark recesses of the hangar: the definite sounds of Ultravox's "Dancing With Tears in My Eyes", and Horatio smiled. That was Kyle's song; he used to drive Horatio crazy by singing it into his cell phone whenever he called. Then he heard a familiar southern English accent call out:

"Well, well, well. Horatio Caine!"

Horatio only had time to turn around before a forceful pair of arms encircled his neck in a friendly, man-to-man embrace. The smell of Kyle's cologne hit him in full and it wasn't before long when Horatio was laughing.

"Kyle Shannon," he said once Kyle pulled away. "Still listening to that 80s crap? I thought you were passed that stage."

"If you thought that it was all a phase, Horatio, you are gravely mistaken." Kyle flashed him a brilliant smile and lightly punched Horatio in the arm. "Ultravox is one of the greats. So what the hell are you doing here? Still working your ass off in the crime lab?"

"Working and taking a break," replied Horatio sizing up his friend. No siree, Kyle hadn't changed. Still the same short and energetic young man that he always was, with a handsome square face and short well-kept dark brown hair and dark brown eyes, with a radiant smile to boot. Today he was dressed in the uniform of an RAF bomber pilot, complete with the Mae West. "That uniform suits you."

"Oh, you like my bosom?" retorted Kyle with the familiar grin. "My wife thought I looked rather becoming in this thing. I find it as uncomfortable as hell."

Horatio looked back to the Wings of War. "You really think you can fly this thing?" he asked. "Aren't you afraid that it'll fall apart on you?"

"She's restored," protested Kyle. "And yes, Horatio, I can fly it. For your information, I've been flying it for three months now and she is like a glove on my hand…comfortable and so lovely."

"Tell me a little about it."

"Well, she's a Lanc, the most famous bomber in WWII. She's 68,000 pounds, has a 102 feet wingspan, 69 feet and 4 inches long. Her maximum speed is 275 at 15,000 feet, and her cruising speed can reach up to 4572 miles at 15,000 feet also. She can also climb to 20,000 feet in 41 minutes, 36 seconds…so she's not that bad."

"I beg to differ," said Horatio.

Kyle looked mockingly shocked. He looked at the bomber. "It's all right, old girl," he called. "Lieutenant Caine is only joking. It's nothing against you."

"You talk to your bomber," remarked Horatio. "That's sweet."

"Stuff it, Caine." Kyle glanced at his watch. "Oh my God, look at the time!" He looked at Horatio. "Well, Horatio, it's been a barrel of giggles talking to you but I've got to take this grand lady up into the air now. Perhaps we could have a coffee after I land? Catch up on old times?"

Horatio smiled. "You bet," he said. "But you're buying. Bomber boy's privilege."

Kyle smirked. "Oh very funny," he said and walked toward the bomber, climbing into it. When Horatio saw him settled into the cockpit he waved and Kyle waved back.

Catch up on old times. Horatio had a lot to tell his old friend, and he looked foreword to being Kyle's unofficial shrink. That boy had a pretty rough life, and God knew that he needed all the venting he could get.

With one final wave he walked back out the meet the growing crowd.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The _Wings of War_ made her grand appearance at about ten o'clock, much to the delight of the crowd. Horatio even spied a couple of veterans openly weeping at the sight of seeing a piece of their old glory days again, and he knew that Kyle was having a ball up there. Piloting was in his blood, it was a part of his soul, and Horatio knew that he lived his passion in full vigor.

He watched as Kyle flew in large circles above the crowd, the roar of the four Merlin engines echoing in the sky, eclipsing the sounds of Wagner's "Ride of the Valkyries". A faint static sound came onto the loudspeakers and Kyle's voice burst forth:

"Hello all aircraft, I'm going in for attack."

The crowd cheered and watched, spellbound, as the bomber made a U-turn and started to fly north.

Suddenly, Kyle's voice came back and he sounded panicked.

"Uh, base, there seems to be a problem here."

Horatio's heart dropped into his shoes. What was wrong with the bomber? Was his prediction coming true?

The bomber's engines were sputtering, the noise loud and ominous. Kyle was shouting into the loudspeakers now: "Good God, I'm losing fuel! I need to bail out now, sorry folks!"

But he never had the chance.

The _Wings of War_ circled once, then began to nose-dive toward the ground. Several people in the crowd began screaming and Horatio himself began running toward the bomber. But it was too late; the bomber crashed into the ground, arcs of flames exploding into the skies. In horror, Horatio saw Kyle's lifeless body fly away from the wreckage as if he were nothing but a piece of paper and he stopped dead in his tracks for a second, then began running once more.

When he reached him, Horatio was sickened to see Kyle's condition. Lying on his back, Kyle's oxygen mask was ripped away from his face and there was blood everywhere on the ground. Bloody vomit was splashed all over his shirt and he was choking on it. Horatio raced to him and knelt beside him, trying to wipe off the vomit with a handkerchief which he knew was useless.

"Kyle," he said. "Kyle…can you hear me?"

"Horatio…" choked Kyle, his eyes wide with agony. "I…don't know…what happened…."

"It's all right, partner. You keep breathing. Help's coming."

"She was fine…" Kyle's voice broke as he convulsed in a coughing fit. Blood spattered into Horatio's hand. "Ground crew….checked her…" His eyes fluttered open and shut for a second.

"Kyle! Keep breathing for me!" cried Horatio.

"My wife…my wife…" Kyle's eyes fell shut and he ceased breathing.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Four minutes passed before the air show became a crime scene. The police were still trying to calm the hysterical crowd and fire crews were working extra hard to put the flames out on the wreckage of what was the _Wings of War_.

Horatio watched miserably as Alexx loaded Kyle's body onto a gurney so she could take him to the morgue for autopsy. Only twenty-five years old and already pushing up daisies…the thought made him sick to his stomach. He was most certainly not looking foreword to calling his wife to tell him the news that she was now a widow.

Eric Delko sidled up next to him, kit in hand. "You going to be OK, H?" he asked. "I know he was your friend."

"There's seems to be a problem here, Eric," said Horatio. "Have you interviewed the ground crew?"

"Wolfe's on it," replied Eric. He looked at the bomber wreckage. "How long have you known him?"

"Five years. He was the one who sent that sympathy card after Marisol's death, remember?"

Eric turned away slightly. "That was him? Damn, if only I'd known. Does he have a family?"

"His wife, Bethany, lives in Britain," replied Horatio. "She'll probably come down here once word gets out over there that their star pilot has just been killed in an accident." Horatio's blue eyes never left the wreckage, he just couldn't believe it.

"What do you want us to do, H?" asked Eric.

Horatio found the courage to tear his gaze away. "Process the scene, Eric," he said. "See if you can get anything off that bomber. I'll be at the post."

"Sure, H." Eric gave Horatio one last sympathetic look before ducking under the crime scene tape and walking over to the remains of the _Wings of War_.

As he walked back to the Hummer, Horatio kept hearing Kyle's voice inside his head, over and over, like a broken record: _Ground crew checked her…we could_ _have a coffee after I land? Catch up on old times…well, Horatio, it's been a barrel_ _of giggles talking to you…_ No matter what he did he couldn't shake it off. Instead, he told himself to remember Kyle as he was, and not how he died.

He met Kyle five years ago, when the then twenty-one-year-old Englishman was spending a vacation in Miami with his beautiful girlfriend, who was only sixteen years old at the time. In touring the city, he and Bethany made a pit-stop at the crime lab to observe how crimes were solved in America…just to see if there was a difference. Horatio had been the one who greeted them and gave them the tour of the labs and in the process, struck up a conversation with the young pilot, who was very friendly and open. In fact, everyone in the lab immediately took a shine to Kyle, and they always asked when he was coming back to Miami.

Now Kyle was never coming back. Ever.

As he eased the Hummer out of the parking lot, Horatio saw Calleigh and Ryan Wolfe snapping pictures of the bomber wreckage and he noticed that Calleigh stopped every now and then to wipe her eyes. Horatio knew the feeling.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"You sure you want to see this, Horatio?" asked Alexx, visibly wincing as she observed the sorrow on Horatio's face.

"I have to, Alexx," he said softly.

She glanced at Kyle's serene face then back up and Horatio saw that her eyes were red. Five years ago, Kyle had also visited the morgue and viewed Alexx performing an autopsy, which he complimented her on afterwards. She was the member of his team who asked about Kyle the most, as she had been quite charmed by him.

"Kyle has a lot of broken bones," she said, "mostly his arms, legs, all of his ribs literally caved in from the impact – one punctured his left lung. He lost a lot of blood. I'm so sorry, Horatio."

"But he was alive long enough to know that he was dying," remarked Horatio. He looked down and saw that his hands were shaking. When he looked back up at Alexx and spoke, he could barely keep the pain out of his voice. "Alexx, take care of him…OK?"

She nodded wordlessly and Horatio left the autopsy room, the pain inside his chest feeling so great he thought that he would burst from it.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

When he got back to the crime lab Horatio was surprised to see a tall, beautiful woman standing before the elevator. Her long black hair was tied back in a simple ponytail, her round face tear-streaked and swollen, her blue eyes red. She had her arms crossed over her chest and Horatio was amazed to see that she had a belly as round and as tight as a pumpkin.

"Bethany?" he asked softly.

She turned around slowly, her face stoic and full of pain. "Lieutenant," she said in a quivering voice. "Sorry to bother you."

"You're not bothering me, but sweetheart, I thought you were home in England."

"Kyle brought me along," said Bethany Shannon. "But I wasn't feeling well enough to go to the air show. Then, your officer…Delko…called me to tell me that Kyle's bomber…that he…he had been…"

She turned around violently, hand pressed tightly to her mouth as she stifled a sob. Horatio came up beside her and put an arm around her waist gently. He waited until she had regained her composure.

"I don't understand," she whispered. "Kyle was ruthless in telling his ground crew to check that bomber thoroughly. So to have this happen…it just, I don't know." Tears spilled from her eyes. "Oh, God, my husband is gone, Lieutenant!"

Bethany began sobbing at that point, not in the soft and hurtful way, but loudly, and in terrible agony. The whole lab grew quiet as she sobbed on Horatio's arm and he whispered soothingly in her ear for comfort.

"Come sit with me," he said softly and led her to a bench, where they sat. Calleigh immediately appeared by Bethany's side. "Is she OK?" she asked.

"Could you get her a cup of coffee?" asked Horatio but Bethany shook her head.

"Water," she corrected. "I'm…I'm pregnant."

Horatio looked at her, stunned. As Calliegh walked off toward the break room he asked, "How far long are you?"

She sniffled. "Two weeks."

Good God. Two weeks…Bethany wasn't that far off. Horatio rubbed her back gently as Calleigh came back with a cup of water and wordlessly gave it to Bethany, who accepted it with a slight nod.

"Horatio, can I ask one thing of you?" she asked after a couple of sips of water.

"Sure, sweetheart."

"Can I hang around the lab? You know, until this is solved? I don't think this is right. I…I think that someone did something to the fuel tank."

Horatio thought. She wasn't alone in her feelings.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Calleigh had paged Horatio from the firearms department and as he walked into the room he was surprised to see that she had the fuel tank from the Lancaster on the floor. She looked up. "What did Alexx say?" she asked.

Horatio replied, "Right now, sweetheart, we need to focus on the fuel tank. Did you find anything?"

Calleigh knelt beside the fuel tank and pointed to what looked like a bullet hole at the center. "I think we can rule out a possible default with the fuel tank," she said.

"Someone shot it?"

"With this bullet," said Calleigh as she stood up. She held up an evidence bag with a mushroomed bullet in it. "Nine mil. Whoever shot Kyle down was one hell of a marksman."

"Does any of the ground crew carry guns?" asked Horatio.

"None of them said anything," answered Calleigh. She looked at Horatio. "How's Mrs. Shannon holding up?"

"It's hard on her," he said.

At that moment Eric called on Horatio's cell phone. "Yes, Eric?" he asked.

"H, we've just gotten Kyle's personal effects," said Eric. "There's a video camera in here…I'm in the AV lab just about to check it out."

"Right, I'm on my way." Horatio hung up and thanked Calleigh, ending with "You hang in there." She gave him a sad smile and went back to work.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Cooper had the video camera footage uploaded when Horatio got to the AV lab and he was stunned to see Kyle on the screen, standing there in a blue RAF officer's uniform, talking with fellow officers and smoking a cigarette. He looked calm and relaxed and happy.

"Hey, Shannon," said one of the officers on the tape, "someone's looking at you."

Kyle blew a wisp of smoke toward the sky and looked at the camera. A ghost of a smile crossed his face and he began walking toward the cameraman, the smile blossoming into a grin the closer he got. When he was nose-to-nose with the camera, Kyle opened his mouth and let out an awful sounding high note. Laughter echoed behind him and the person holding the camera was giggling too.

"I'm sorry if I can't do a striptease right now," said Kyle to the camera. "It's not the time or the place – Shane, just why are you taping me?"

Horatio asked, "When was this recorded, Cooper?"

Cooper tinkered with the recording for a second and Kyle froze on the screen. "Eight o'clock this morning…just before the crash. Anything you're looking for specifically, H?"

"Just play it," said Horatio.

"Well, I've got a minute before show time," said Kyle, "and I'm assuming my darling wife is going to see this so to her I'm going to sing. And if any of you laugh at my singing, I'll kick your behinds."

"Derek has to get in there," said an officer. "Sing us a duet!"

Kyle grinned at the camera. "Derek," he said, "get your ass over here. For our viewer's pleasure, we shall sing Madonna's 'Hung Up'. Derek, get over here!"

The camera bounced for a minute then Kyle was joined by another man, this one wearing a different kind of uniform and was slightly taller than his CO. He looked like a wrestler, with buzzed blond hair and blue eyes. For a few minutes they did a funny dance, singing the lyrics in voices that broke at the high notes.

Horatio's eyes narrowed. "Stop."

The image froze. "You see that, Eric?" asked Horatio, pointing to Derek. Eric peered at the image and nodded. "I do see it," he said. "Derek has a gun in his hand."

"Looks like a sniper rifle, too," said Horatio.

"Think he could be the one who shot Kyle out of the sky?" asked Eric.

"Only one way to find out," said Horatio. "We need to ask Bethany some questions."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"His name is Derek Wallace," said Bethany as she shifted in the chair. "He was the chief of Kyle's ground crew and Kyle's best friend…they'd known each other since they were children."

"Any idea why Derek would carry a sniper rifle around with him?" asked Horatio.

Bethany looked at him. "He has a license, Horatio that much I know. He uses it for hunting back home in England."

"Why would he bring it to Miami?"

"I don't know," she said. She frowned slightly. "Why ask, Horatio?"

Horatio met her eyes, dreading what he was about to say to her. "We think that rifle was used to shoot your husband down," he said. Bethany's face went white.

"Derek wouldn't do that," she said, her voice crackling with emotion. "He's Kyle's best friend…it's just not possible." She wiped her eyes.

"Bethany, I need to find him," said Horatio. "I need to know where he is."

"He's staying with me at the hotel," she replied.

"OK," said Horatio, his voice growing softer. "Thank you, Beth."

As they were walking out of the interrogation room Eric asked, "So we're bringing in Derek for questioning?"

"Eric, I need you to stay here with Bethany and keep an eye on her," said Horatio. "I'll take Frank with me this time."

Eric nodded. "OK."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Derek answered Horatio's third knock with an amiable smile. He was drying his hair with a towel and motioned Horatio inside the room. "You must be Horatio Caine," he said in a deep British accent, smile still in place. "Kyle spoke of you often. What can I do for you?"

"I need to ask you about his death," said Horatio. "If you don't mind."

Derek tossed the towel on the bed and went to the mini-bar, where he poured himself a drink. The smile faded. "Ask away," he said gruffly.

"Why did Kyle call you 'Shane' on the video recording you made of him?" asked Horatio.

"I like American Westerns," replied Derek, downing his brandy in one swallow. "Shane is on of my favorites and Kyle acted on it."

"Bethany mentioned that you're quite the hunter," said Horatio, his eyes falling on the rifle propped up beside the bed. "Is that your rifle there, Derek?"

"It is. Want to look at it?"

Horatio nodded and Derek handed him the rifle, almost reluctantly. "This is a bolt-action repeating rifle," he observed.

"You know your guns, Horatio."

"I also know that Wing Commander Shannon was shot down," said Horatio, looking up at Derek now. "My bullistics expert has just extracted a bullet from the fuel tank of the _Wings of War_. I'm just wondering…"

Derek shook his head violently. "Now hold on, just one bloody minute," he said a bit too loudly. "If you think that for one moment that I'd shoot Kyle Shannon down, Horatio, you are very much mistaken. Kyle was my best mate; I'd never do that to him and his wife."

Horatio looked at him calmly. "You sure about that, Derek?" he asked. "You won't mind coming with me to M.D.P.D. for further questioning?"

Derek's eyes flashed with anger. "As a matter of fact, I sure as hell do mind, Horatio," he snapped. "I'm not putting Beth under any more stress than you already have. I'll just wait for her to come back here."

"Don't even think about going back home just yet," returned Horatio with a cold tone of voice.

- - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - -

"What did Derek say?" asked Bethany as she eased herself beside Horatio on the bench. "Was he helpful?"

"Only if you count having a bad temper helpful then he was more than," said Horatio with a soft smile. She smiled back and patted her stomach. Horatio eyed her movement.

"Boy or girl?" he asked.

"We don't know yet," replied Bethany. "We're hoping for a boy."

"How about the name?"

"Well, we were thinking about naming him Ricky," said Bethany before she gave a sudden lurch forward with a soft cry. Horatio caught her before she collapsed on the floor.

"Beth, are you OK?" he asked nervously.

"I-I don't know," she managed to say in a strained voice. "My stomach hurts real bad…I think the baby's coming, Horatio."

"OK, sweetheart," said Horatio helping her to her feet. "I'll take you to the hospital. Come on." He held her for support as they made a slow progress toward the elevator, but they stopped when Horatio saw and felt a warm liquid trickle down to the floor from under Bethany's blue dress.

She began to panic. "Oh God," she whimpered, "my water broke. The baby's coming!" She bent over in sudden pain, letting out a piercing cry of pain that silenced the whole lab. Horatio eased her to the floor.

"The baby's coming," he called out. "We need help here!"

The whole lab crowded around them, handing Horatio anything that would substitute for birthing supplies. Bethany was crying softly from the pain and was gripping Horatio's hand in a vise-like clasp, her eyes wide and tearful.

"All right, Beth," said Horatio, "you have to push for us, OK? It's going to hurt but I want you to squeeze my hand. Mr. Wolfe, get over here!"

Ryan Wolfe immediately came foreword, white as a sheet, but he positioned himself ready to catch the baby.

"Push, Bethany, push!" said Horatio.

She did what she was told, screaming at the top of her lungs as she did so for a couple of seconds then relaxed. Wolfe, however, did not look so unperturbed.

"God I hope that's a head I'm looking at!" he cried.

Horatio ignored him and focused all on Bethany. He could tell another contraction was on the way. "Push again, sweetheart," he said. "Hard."

Bethany pushed, literally crushing Horatio's hand as she did, eyes squeezed shut, teeth bared as she screamed and labored. Everyone was silent throughout the whole labor, never minding the smell, worried for the new mother and the baby.

The silence was broken by a newborn baby's screams.

"I got it," cried Wolfe, a funny smile on his face as he wrapped the baby girl up in a blanket and passed her gingerly to Horatio, who handed her to Bethany. Everyone cheered.

"Frank," called Horatio, "call the paramedics."

Bethany looked up at him from his lap, the baby girl resting in her arms, still crying.

"If only Kyle was here," she said and Horatio smiled at her.

"Oh, he was," he replied.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

"How are the baby and the new mother holding up?" asked Horatio to a nurse as he stood outside Bethany's room, watching her sleep through the glass window.

"Both are fine and the child is pretty damn healthy for one born prematurely," replied the nurse. "If it's not too much to ask, Lieutenant, where was Mrs. Shannon's husband during all this?"

_Dead_, thought Horatio glumly. This lady obviously didn't watch the news coverage of Kyle's fatal crash. "Mr. Shannon was killed this morning in a plane crash," he said softly. The nurse looked away.

"Poor baby," she said. She looked back at Horatio. "She has a friend coming in to watch over her, a Mr. Steve McDaniels, from Australia. I just thought you should know."

"That's fine, nurse. Just let me know how she and the baby are doing."

"Will do."

As he drove back to the lab Calleigh called. "It's about Derek Wallace's rifle," she said. "The bullet is jacketed. Nine mils aren't, so it doesn't match up."

"So that rules Derek out as a suspect but we still need to ask him some questions," said Horatio.

"Should we have Patrol pick him up?" asked Calleigh.

"Yes, have them do that."

"OK. And…Horatio?"

"Yes, Calleigh?"

"How are Bethany and the baby doing?"

"Just fine," said Horatio. "You all did an amazing job with the labor. How's Wolfe doing?"

Calleigh laughed, the first laugh she had since Kyle was killed. "Let's just say he's thinking twice about having kids of his own."

Horatio hung up after a final goodbye and took a second to dig out a CD from the Hummer's glove compartment and popped it into the system. This was a CD Kyle made for him after Marisol died, all of the nineteen songs classic rock and meant to cheer Horatio up. He had listened to it on the plane flying to Brazil and it did the trick, now it was just a reminder that he better find Kyle's killer and fast.

As the speakers pumped out "Zombie" from the Cranberries, Horatio let himself remember the card that Kyle had sent along with the CD: _My dear sir_, it had read, _please accept my sympathies and sincerest sorrow to both you and Eric. I hope you catch the bastard. Yours most sincerely, Kyle Shannon W/C._

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Derek rubbed his face. "Aren't you glad I didn't kill Kyle?" he asked. "Can I have my rifle back?"

"You see, Derek, the correct question would have been 'Have you found the person who did kill Kyle'," said Horatio.

"Have you?" returned Derek.

"Not yet," said Calleigh. "But any help that you give us would bring closure to his wife."

"Look, I don't know who would have the stones to shoot Wing Commander Shannon down," said Derek. "But whoever did was a right bastard…you should be hunting him down instead of hounding me."

"Maybe you know who shot him down," said Horatio. "Did anyone have a grudge against Kyle?"

"Who didn't?" said Derek. "Kyle could be an arrogant prig sometimes and be a little acerbic with people, but he was a good guy. Some people just didn't see that."

"Who would want to kill him?" asked Horatio.

"God, some of his crew didn't like him," said Derek. "The only one who did seem to like the chap was Steve McDaniels."

"The man visiting Bethany at the hospital," said Horatio.

"Yeah. You might ask him some questions."

Horatio left the interrogation room and flipped on his cell phone. "Yes, Patrol, this is Horatio Caine," he said. "I need you to pick someone up for me that Miami-Dade Memorial. His name's Steve McDaniels and he's staying with Bethany Shannon."

And he flipped off the phone and went back into the interrogation room.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

When Steve Michaels walked into the interrogation room Horatio almost mistook him for a teenage kid. Tall and slim, Steve was baby-faced with short wispy blond hair and blue eyes. His Australian accent was thick and full of worry as he shook Horatio's hand and asked, "Is there something wrong, Officer? Your patrol picked me up of the hospital."

Horatio motioned for him to sit and sat down himself across from his guest. "I just need to ask you some questions, Mr. McDaniels," he replied. "How are Bethany and the baby?"

"They're fine, Lieutenant Caine," answered Steve in a nervous tone of voice. "But that's not what you're asking me about isn't it? This is about Wing Commander Shannon's death." When Horatio began to speak he shook his head and held up a hand. "I know what you're thinking, and I can assure you that Derek wasn't the one who shot him down…he's too weak."

"How close were you to Shannon?" Horatio asked.

"We weren't best friends but we were comrades," said Steve. "We flew God knows how many missions together in Iraq before he decided to do this air show bit. I liked him, Lieutenant; I thought he was a very brave man and a gifted pilot."

"But not all of his comrades liked him," remarked Horatio.

Steve swallowed and Horatio noticed that he was sweating. "No, about half of them didn't like the way he did things," he said. "Kyle was a strict disciplinarian and expected everyone to follow him to the letter. Some thought he was too supercilious and rude, but you have to understand…that was the way he was." Steve rubbed his eyes. "Did Beth ever tell you that he got post-traumatic stress disorder while over in Iraq?"

_She didn't_. Horatio looked at Steve. "I've never seen him take medication for it," he said.

"He was almost finished with his treatment before he crashed," replied Steve. "He was supposed to end it once he got back to England." He looked up at Horatio. "Are you sure Kyle was shot down? What if he went into a suicidal tendency and crashed on purpose?"

"Evidence points to someone who has a gun that shoots nine millimeter bullets," said Horatio. "Calleigh is trying to match the gun with the bullet."

"Well then you should ask everyone in his squadron about that, every one of them carry a gun."

Horatio raised an eyebrow. "Including you?"

Steve shook his head. "I'm the only exception," he said.

"How do I know that you're not lying to me?"

Steve looked shocked. "Bethany can tell you that I don't shoot guns," he said. "Please, Lieutenant, just ask her."

"Then I will," said Horatio.

- - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Bethany was cuddling the baby when he walked in. She greeted him with a smile as he pulled up a chair beside her. "Thank you for coming to see us," she said.

"How are you feeling?"

"Tired, but I'm hanging in there. This little one is quite a handful," said Bethany, looking down at the baby girl nursing at her left breast. She looked back up at Horatio. "Is Steve still at Miami-Dade P.D.?"

"He is," said Horatio. "Beth, I need to know if you've ever seen him with a gun."

"Heavens no," said Bethany. "Steve is as gentle as a lamb."

"But everyone in Kyle's squadron did."

Bethany frowned, as if she was reliving an unpleasant memory. "Yes," she said softly. "Some used to fool about with them whenever I visited Kyle on base while I was still pregnant. Some…used to put the barrels of their guns to my belly. Kyle was furious and had them court-martialed."

"Do you remember their names?"

"Only three. Tommy Mayberry, Francis Burke, and Michael Winters." The baby gurgled and Bethany smiled down at her.

"Any idea if they're still in Miami?" asked Horatio.

Bethany shook her head. "Tommy and Michael are, but Francis had to leave." She looked at Horatio. "Wait…Horatio; are you saying that one of them shot my husband down?"

"Only one way to find out," said Horatio. "Where are they?"

Bethany was pale but she answered, "Two doors down from where my room is at the hotel. Steve can show you."

"OK. Thank you, Bethany." Horatio leaned over slightly to whisper, "What's her name now?"

"I named her Calleigh," she replied with a smile. "After Miss Duquesne."

"I'll let her know," said Horatio as he stood up to leave. "I'll come back later to check on you."


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7 **

Tommy Mayberry had the walk of a man who had issues with life and an almost obscene smile as he sat down across from Horatio and Eric. Tall and thin, with green-streaked brown and blue-green eyes, he sat there radiating confidence and smugness.

"How's Bethany?" he asked. "I heard she gave birth at the lab."

"Odd for you to ask about her," said Horatio, "when you hated her husband so much." Tommy's grin faded.

"True, I thought little of my CO," he said slowly. "He was an arrogant bastard – but I still don't see…"

Horatio placed a photo of the mushroomed bullet and a photo of the fuel tank before him. "Know what that is?" he asked. Tommy glanced at them then shook his head. "A fuel tank?" he asked roughly.

"From the vintage Lancaster bomber that Shannon was piloting the day he died," said Horatio. "That bullet was taken out of it."

"Steve told us that you have a handgun," said Eric.

"I do."

"Mind if we look at it for comparison?" asked Horatio. Tommy glared at him.

"You think I shot Shannon out of the sky, don't you?" he shouted. "Well, here's some news you don't hear often: I thought about it, OK? I saw you talking to him Lieutenant…and I thought about shooting that bastard down. He had me bloody court-martialed for playing a joke on his wife for God's sake…the man couldn't even take a joke…"

"Bethany was pregnant when you 'played a joke'," said Eric. "Maybe your CO thought that it was a threat."

"Look, I'm glad that Shannon's dead," said Tommy softly, coldly. "Our squadron's better off without him. But I'm telling you both the truth. I wouldn't kill him out right."

"Why is that?" Horatio asked.

Tommy rubbed at his eyes. "Because I'm in love with his wife," he said after a while. "OK? Bethany is the most beautiful woman on earth and the thought…the fact that she chose to marry Shannon was disgusting."

"So you wanted to kill Shannon so you could get with his wife?" asked Eric. "That's just sad."

Tommy looked at him. "Come on, Officers, you both tell me that you've not looked at her and thought those things. I only did what I did to get Shannon pissed off…not to hurt Beth."

"She has a different story," said Horatio. "Now…your gun."

"Fine! Take the deviled thing!" Tommy placed the gun on the table. "Can I go now?"

"Don't go far," said Horatio.

- - - - - - - - -- - - - -- - - - - - - - - - -

As soon as Tommy left, Bethany appeared in the crime lab with the newly-christened Calleigh Shannon in her arms.

"Tommy's admitted to thinking about killing Kyle," said Horatio when she asked. "But not to actually shooting him down."

Bethany pursed her lips in thought. "That bloody coward," she said. She looked at him. "What else did he say?"

Horatio didn't want to tell her about Tommy's perverted declaration of love but instead he told her, "Calleigh is looking over Mayberry's gun as we speak for prints. Hopefully it'll get us somewhere and give you closure."

She nodded and looked at the wall. "Kyle's father called me while I was still in the hospital," he said, "getting his funeral arranged. It's set for November 24th. I…" She looked at him. "I was hoping that you and your CSI team would fly to England for it. I understand if all of you can't."

Horatio smiled at her, touched for thinking of them. "Of course we will," he said. "We'd be honored."

"Good." Bethany smiled a little when she saw Calleigh Duquesne approaching them. A smile spread on the blond woman's face as she beheld the baby for the second time.

"How's my little clone?" she asked.

"As gorgeous as she was the other day," replied Bethany. "You want to hold her later, Miss Duquesne?"

"Oh, I'd love to. If you don't mind, Beth, I'd like to kidnap Horatio for a bit."

When they were pulled over to the side Horatio asked, "Did we get any prints of the gun?"

Calleigh nodded and handed him the results. "You won't guess who, though," she said.

Horatio stared at what she had given him and his heart jumped. _That bastard,_ he thought then he looked up at Calleigh. "I'll need you to call Eric," he said. "Looks like we have to visit Mr. Wallace again…only this time with handcuffs."


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

"I'm sorry, Lieutenant," said the receptionist at the hotel, "but Mr. Wallace left early this morning for a flight." Horatio looked deep into her eyes, searching for a possible lie, but found none. She was telling the truth.

"What time did he check out?" he asked.

"About two hours ago."

Eric glanced at the clock on the wall. "H, we can still get there in time," he said. Already Horatio was moving toward the door.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

They found Derek at Miami International, hauling his luggage off the trolley and fighting to keep his rifle in its case. The moment he heard the sirens of the police cars and saw the approaching Hummer, he immediately dropped his bags and rifle and stared running toward the plane, pushing people as he struggling up the stairway to get to the only remaining safety that he knew. But then he heard the voice of Lieutenant Caine call out:

"That's as far as you go, Derek."

He stopped, turned slowly around to see the tall red haired cop with his Hispanic friend at the bottom of the stairway, seen clearly through the parted crowds of people. Both men had their guns drawn and looked very, very pissed.

"I want you to put your hands behind your head," called out Horatio. "And come down from those stairs slowly. You make one false move and I'll blow your brains out."

Derek did what he was told, knowing that the jig was up by the look of defeat on his face. Horatio kept his gun trained on him, eyes never leaving him. When Derek reached them two officers grabbed him and handcuffed his hands behind his back.

"What the bloody hell is this?" Derek barked, glaring at Horatio.

"You're under arrest," said Horatio, "for the murder of Kyle Shannon."

Derek's mouth fell open as he continued to stare. "Murder?" he shouted. "You're accusing me of murder, Lieutenant, after Bethany already told you who shot down Wing Commander Shannon. And anyway…you can't arrest me, I'm a British citizen."

"We contacted your police force down there," said Eric. "And I don't think you'll get a hero's welcome once your ass gets transported back there."

Derek ignored him, instead choosing to focus all of his hatred, all his malice, on Horatio, who gazed back with a frosty stare of his own. "What makes you think that I killed Shannon?" he hissed.

"How about you stealing Tommy Mayberry's handgun for a start?" returned Horatio. "Your print just happens to be on it and around the trigger…meaning you shot at Kyle while he was flying. I must say, Derek, you're not really all that weak. But you most certainly aren't that clever. Tell me why you killed Kyle?" He ended the sentence bitingly, letting Derek know just how pissed off he was with him.

Derek snorted.

"Shannon thought he was so good," he snarled. "It was like watching a bloody peacock strut around whenever he walked by, he was so conceited and pompous. The squadron was better off without him but the Royal Air Force thought he was _just too good_ to let go of. So I took care of him in my own way."

"By shooting him down at the air show," said Horatio icily.

"No, Lieutenant," corrected Derek coldly. "Not by shooting him down. I broke into Mayberry's locker before Shannon went to met you and then when you had gone and Kyle was inside the bomber ready to roll it out I shot at his fuel tank. Only took me one bullet but it worked. The bastard lost fuel and crashed."

Deep down in his heart Horatio wanted to strangle the man with all of his might but then he decided that karma would do that for him. "You made his wife a widow and his daughter fatherless," he said.

Derek grunted again and a sick, twisted smile curved his lips. "Maybe now they can move on," he said.

Horatio's stomach soured.

"Officers, put him in the car," he said. "And call Britain. Tell their law enforcement that we have Wing Commander Shannon's killer."

"Let's go," ordered one officer roughly and the two officers shepherded Derek, who was still smiling, to the awaiting police car.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Bethany and Calleigh senior were cuddling baby Calleigh when Horatio approached them.

Bethany handed the baby to Calleigh and stood up, tears in her eyes. "Was it Derek?" she asked. Horatio only nodded and she began to cry softly. Horatio and Calleigh let her, for that was how they felt inside.

"I'm so sorry, Beth…" he began but she shook her head and then walked into his arms. She thanked him over and over again, her tears hot on his shoulder and for once Horatio didn't say, "There's no need". He just let her cry for Kyle and, quite possibly, the whole lab.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

_November 24th, 2006_

_England_

The sky was streaked with pink as the funeral procession made its way into the cemetery: the priest, the men bearing Kyle's casket, Kyle's parents, Bethany with baby Calleigh in a perambulator, Kyle's entire squadron, friends and finally Horatio and his whole CSI team. The mood was incredibly solemn and heartbreaking, Horatio could see it on everyone's faces and he felt it inside his own soul. Even baby Calleigh was grave and did no crying.

In accordance to Kyle's father's arrangements, a lone bagpiper from Scotland marched ahead of the party playing "Amazing Grace" and everyone carried a poppy flower to remember the vibrant young man who died so tragically. Later on in the funeral Bethany was to play Kyle's favorite song on the portable CD player she carried under baby Calleigh's pram, which song it was Horatio had no idea.

A fresh grave had already been dug underneath the shade of a tree and as the men carrying the casket gently lowered it into the ground, eyes red and their faces unsmiling, the men of Kyle's squadron removed their hats and the priest opened his Bible and found a prayer to read. As he listened, Horatio remembered other funerals passed: the funeral for his mother, Tim Speedle's funeral that seemed to have happened so long ago and just recently Marisol's. But this funeral was to be different, Horatio wasn't mourning the loss of a family member, comrade, or wife…he was grieving the loss of a friend.

The priest finished the prayer and began to speak words of comfort, though Horatio didn't feel any of it. All he saw and thought of was the sadness that he and everyone else were feeling.

"Would anyone wish to come forth and speak?" asked the priest.

A moment passed and then Horatio said, "I will."

The priest stepped back and gave him room and all bleary eyes turned attention to him. Horatio looked into those watery gazes and clearly his throat before he began to speak.

"I didn't know Wing Commander Shannon for very long," he said. "I only knew him for five years starting when he first came to Miami with his wife on a vacation. I know that he wasn't very well thought of, too, by others who had known or served with him…but I knew him as a bright, lively, and friendly young man who knew that the sky was the limit and that he lived his passion of piloting to the full." Horatio paused, fighting down the lump inside his throat. "But I think that I speak for both myself and the members of my team at the Miami-Dade crime lab when I say that Shannon will be sorely missed."

He walked to Bethany as everyone smiled at him in gratitude and hugged her. She kissed him on the cheek and whispered, "Thank you."

"There's no need," he said back and he went back to join his team.

The priest smiled softly. "Thank you, Lieutenant Caine," he said then looked at Bethany. "Mrs. Shannon?"

Bethany retrieved the CD player and walked over to a table on the left side of where the priest stood. She turned it on, tinkered with the CD tracks until she found the right one, and then turned to her fellow mourners.

"All of you knew that Kyle's second love was music," she said. "Classic rock, mostly, but he thought other stuff was good too…except rap."

Everyone laughed quietly.

Bethany wiped at her eyes, smiling softly, and then continued.

"And so, in keeping with his father's wishes and Kyle's as well, I shall play for you Wing Commander Shannon's favorite classic rock song…this is 'In the Lap of the Gods' by Alan Parsons Project."

She pressed the play button and the distance sound of a bell ringing heralded the beginning of the song. Everyone listened quietly throughout, until the roar of four Merlin engines brought their attentions skyward. Another Lancaster bomber was flying above them, the bomb bay doors opening to allow millions of poppy flower petals to waver in a slow shower of red toward the crowd: one last final goodbye from the air force that Kyle loved so much.

Horatio held out a hand, touching the petals as they fell to the ground, the song going into three-beat bass riffs. When he looked to the sky again he saw the bomber was gone. He was suddenly reminded of that old song about the US Air Force, and how it spoke about pilots' journeys into the sky for probably one last flight. And he knew that, somewhere up there, Kyle was flying in that wild blue yonder, looking down at the people he loved and smiling.

End


End file.
